1993 Belfast Opera House bombing

The 1993 Belfast Opera House bombing occurred on 21 May 1993 when the Provisional IRA bombed the Grand Opera House in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in an attempt to target the Ulster Unionist Party's headquarters at the Europa Hotel. Just before 8:00 AM, the IRA issued the first of several warnings to the British, telling him that the bomb had a 20-minute timer. A 1,000-pound bomb hidden in a garbage truck exploded shortly after the British authorities attempted to trigger a controlled explosion, punching a hole in the Opera House, causing extensive damage in the city center, and shattering all of the windows of the Europa Hotel. The bombing occured during a period of vote-counting for local elections, and the UUP headquarters was the target of the attack. At least 20 people were wounded in the attack.